NASCAR 07

NASCAR 07's timely appearance on European shores, as autumn kicks in, is timed quite nicely to coincide with that Ricky Bobby film thing at the multiplex. Though nowhere near as amusing as the movie, there are enough modes in NASCAR 07 to keep gamers entertained for a good while. You can get to grips with the game in the Race Now mode, just to ensure you know what you're doing when you get into the game proper. You can take on a field of up to 43 cars in a single Race Now event. There are four racing series, the top drivers and all the real world tracks to choose from, plus unlockable cars and fantasy tracks. Season Mode is pretty much self-explanatory, with a choice of four series; Chase For the Cup begins with ten races left in a season, with each driver separated by five points in the standings; Dodge Challenges (not a typo, muscle car fans) lets you re-live some of NASCAR's greatest moments of the past year; and Fight to the Top is the heart of the game. This is where you create a driver and power your way through the Whelen Modified series, Craftsman Trucks, NBS and NEXTEL Cup ranks by building the ultimate team and finishing near the top of the standings. As you progress through your career, you'll take the helm of your own racing organisation and look to out-perform or even own real world NASCAR teams

Player-controlled cars in Race Now, Season Mode and Chase for the Cup are assigned attributes based on real world performances on certain types of track. For example, Elliot Sadler's car performs significantly better than a rookie's thanks to his professional experience. Also, some drivers tend to perform better on speedways or superspeedways, while others have higher ratings for road courses and short tracks. Ratings all depend on the drivers and their tendencies. Positive and negative Skill Points collected during Race Now, Season, Fight to the Top and Chase for the Cup modes have an effect on your driver's attributes. You start with zero points, but as the race progresses, you have opportunities to gain Skill Points by surviving the most unpredictable situations in racing, leading laps, sharing a draft, intimidation, clean passing and qualifying well. When Skill Points are earned, your driver's attributes increase, of course.

It all follows the well-established EA program of earning as you go. You have to work hard to get the most out of NASCAR 07, but that does mean longevity and a helluva lot of gameplay.